


Golden Picnic

by Burgie



Category: Star Stable Online
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-23
Updated: 2018-02-23
Packaged: 2019-03-22 23:20:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13774737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burgie/pseuds/Burgie
Summary: Conny takes Hazel out for her birthday, like a good friend. Hazel belongs to hazelnorthpeak on tumblr.





	Golden Picnic

Hazel smiled as she looked at herself in the bathroom mirror in her room in the Silverglade Equestrian Centre’s inn. She usually stayed in the inn at Valedale, where her horses were stabled, but last night, she’d been so exhausted after working all day at the manor that she’d simply been too tired to ride all the way back to Valedale. Besides, she’d been hoping to bump into someone.

Unfortunately, Conny had not stayed at the inn here last night. When she’d asked after him, finally mustering up enough courage to ask the woman at the front desk, she’d been told that Conny didn’t stay here at all. Maybe he was hiding from GED or something. But he did work here, the Baroness had assured her of that. He’d been busy making wine down in the cellar all day yesterday, apparently, but today, he might just be working out in the fields. Hazel hoped to find him, but not for any romantic reasons. No, her heart belonged to Derek, the postman in Silverglade Village, Hazel was just curious to know how Conny was getting on after leaving GED.

Deciding that she looked presentable, Hazel left the inn, dressed in her birthday dress that she’d purchased for herself yesterday (it was green and printed with flowers), her wavy green hair left down.

Hazel looked around, trying not to look too eager, as she walked around the corner and to the stable, where she took out Yuuri, her dapple grey Oldenberg. Her little silver fox, a more recent addition, quickly hopped out of his saddlebag and darted around Yuuri’s hooves, yipping happily. Hazel laughed.

“Careful now, don’t get stepped on,” said Hazel, but she smiled as Yuuri carefully walked around the fox.

“Your fox matches your horse,” said a familiar voice, and Hazel’s smile grew into a grin as she looked up from the fox and saw Conny wheeling a wheelbarrow full of fresh hay towards the stables. He set the wheelbarrow down, then walked forward and held out a gloved hand for the fox to sniff. “He won’t bite, will he?”

“No, don’t worry,” said Hazel, still grinning. “He’s friendly.” Conny took his glove off, and he laughed and grinned as the fox nuzzled and licked his hand.

“Aww, he’s such a cutie,” Conny cooed, looking up at Hazel with that same friendly smile. He looked different with a normal cap on instead of his yellow hardhat, and Hazel knew that other girls would think him handsome. She thought he was handsome too, but decided not to tell Derek that.

“I guess it takes one to know one,” said Hazel, giggling as Conny blushed. “So, I haven’t seen you for a while.”

“Yeah, I heard that you were looking for me yesterday,” said Conny. Hazel blushed. She’d only asked the Baroness once. “I was busy in the cellar all day yesterday, and then today, I’m on yard duty.”

“Yeah, I know, I heard,” said Hazel. “I probably should’ve asked for your number. As a friendly gesture.”

“That would’ve been a good idea, yeah,” said Conny, taking his phone out of his pocket. It had a bright orange case, and a silver strip in the middle of the back, going across, like a proper hi-vis vest. Hazel dismounted Yuuri so that she could get her own phone out, and blushed when she remembered that she didn’t have any pockets.

“Scatterbrain,” said Hazel with a laugh as she finally reached into her saddlebag and pulled her phone out.

“That’s a nice dress,” said Conny as Hazel brushed her dress down, still blushing slightly.

“Thanks!” said Hazel, grinning. “It’s my birthday present to myself.”

“Oh, happy birthday!” said Conny. “If I’d known, I would’ve gotten you something.”

“No, it’s okay, I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it,” said Hazel. “But thank you.”

“So, another year older, another year wiser, huh?” said Conny after they’d exchanged numbers. 

“Yeah,” said Hazel, smiling as she nodded. “I certainly know more than I did last year.”

“I believe that,” said Conny with a laugh. “Actually, I know I told the Baroness I was working today, but it’s your birthday, you deserve some time off. Why don’t I take you out for a birthday lunch?”

“Are you sure she’ll be okay with that, though?” asked Hazel. “I don’t want to get you into trouble, not in a job that you actually love.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” said Conny. “Besides, I know for a fact that Jorvik is just full of young women who are willing to help out with stable chores and whatnot.” Hazel scoffed, rolling her eyes.

“Full of young women, yes, full of young women who are willing to work? Debatable,” said Hazel. Conny shrugged.

“Well, I worked really hard yesterday, and I haven’t taken a break since I started a few months ago, so I’m sure that the Baroness won’t mind me taking some time off,” said Conny. “I’ll just go and ask her, you start thinking about where you’d like to go for a picnic.”

“Okay,” said Hazel, grinning at him and curling a lock of her green hair around her finger. “Good luck with the Baroness.”

Hazel was quite pleasantly surprised when she saw Conny walking back over to her with a grin on his face and wine bottle in his hand. She grinned back at him.

“She’s really impressed with my work,” said Conny, taking both gloves off now and tossing them onto the top of the hay in the wheelbarrow. “And she said that she doesn’t want me to waste my talents on grunt work, since they’re in desperate need of a sommelier around here, so she gave me the day off. In fact, she almost insisted on it. She also gave me some of this.” He held up the bottle of Valentine’s wine, and Hazel rolled her eyes and laughed.

“Well then, let’s make the most of it,” said Hazel, mounting Yuuri again. “Do you know how to ride?”

“I don’t know anyone on Jorvik who doesn’t, honestly,” said Conny as he disappeared inside the stable. He emerged with a gorgeous, light grey Hanoverian gelding, one that the Baroness used for pleasure riding. “So, did you decide on where you wanted to go?”

“Yes,” said Hazel, grinning. “Golden Hills Valley.” She’d been there quite often since she’d first gained access to the most golden area of Jorvik, but she loved it deeply.

“Beach or forest?” asked Conny.

“Why not the forest on the Stable Island?” asked Hazel. “There are some nice places there, or there’s this really nice spot just across from the stables. Wait, I’m not allowed to go there yet. But that’s okay, I’m sure that we’ll find somewhere nice.”

“You decide,” said Conny, smiling at her. Hazel smiled back, and the two of them set off from the equestrian centre. Hazel could feel the Baroness’ eyes on them as they left, but she ignored it. It was really quite amusing, actually, the way the Baroness kept trying to find a girlfriend for Conny.

After a quick stop in Silverglade Village, where Conny picked up a few picnic neccessities, the two of them set off towards Golden Hills Valley, where Hazel took the lead. She couldn’t help the grin that spread across her face as she rode through those towering iron gates that had stood closed to her for so long. It still felt almost unreal to be able to go there freely.

“Wow, this place is very… yellow,” said Conny. Hazel laughed.

“The residents call it golden,” said Hazel.

“Yeah, I can see that,” said Conny, nodding. He frowned in confusion as Hazel began to ride off of the trail and up a gentle slope.

“Follow me,” said Hazel, smiling gently at him. “Don’t worry, I know exactly where I’m going.”

“I trust you,” said Conny. However, his trust was soon tested as Hazel guided Yuuri down a rather steep and narrow path.

“You have to be very careful here,” said Hazel, frowning in concentration as Yuuri’s hooves slipped slightly but then dug into the ground. They’d had plenty of practice in climbing difficult hills, this tiny slope was nothing. Conny, however, was far more scared than either of the horses, clinging to the reins and squeezing his eyes shut. He whimpered, trembling, but his horse managed the tricky climb down without too much difficulty. Once all four hooves were on relatively-flat ground once more, Conny breathed a sigh of relief. Hazel giggled at him.

“See, now that wasn’t too hard, was it?” asked Hazel. Conny felt like his eyes were spinning, so he closed them again for a moment.

“That was terrifying,” said Conny. Hazel laughed again.

“But it’s worth it,” said Hazel. “Come on, look around.” Conny did so, though he still trembled, and soon found that they were in a little hidden grove above Jasper’s farm.

“This is pretty,” said Conny. “Like a private little picnic spot.”

“Uh huh,” said Hazel, nodding. “Someone showed me this place, they said that it’d be important later on but they didn’t say why.”

“Eh, I’m sure that’ll it’ll be some weird reason,” said Conny. “But for now, all that fear really worked up an appetite in me.” Hazel laughed.

“Yeah, I can imagine,” said Hazel. “This looks like a good spot.” Gesturing with her head, she rode to the other side of the small area and dismounted, taking the picnic things and setting them out on a small hill underneath a tree. 

Warm, golden sunlight filtered down through the leaves, warming Hazel’s skin. Conny took a deep breath of the air, smiling.

“It sort of smells like pumpkin spice here,” said Conny. “Only without the spice.”

“That would be Jasper’s pumpkin farm,” said Hazel, pointing down to it. “But it does smell really nice here. When you get further in, though, you start to smell the sea. And fish.” She wrinkled her nose, and Conny laughed.

“Give me the smell of fish over oil any day of the week,” said Conny. “Heck, even fertiliser.” He popped the cork out of the bottle of wine, then poured them a glass each. Hazel smiled as she saw Conny raise his glass.

“Here’s to you,” said Conny. “Happy birthday, Hazel.” Hazel grinned, feeling her cheeks growing rosy. She felt like she should be sharing this with Derek, not Conny, but they were friends. Besides, Derek was probably planning something for tonight, perhaps a delicious dinner and maybe even a movie.

“Thank you,” said Hazel, clinking their glasses together. She drank a little of the wine, very much enjoying the sweet Valentine’s wine that the Baroness made this time every year.

“Mmm, this is like fruit wine,” said Conny, smelling the wine.

“Well, I don’t know what she puts in it,” said Hazel. “Just that it’s delicious.”

“I’ll drink to that,” said Conny with a smile.

The two of them enjoyed delicious cakes and pastries under the tree, including some of Harold’s famous cardamom cookies. But there were also some lovely little cupcakes decorated with hearts, left over from the Valentine’s special. While they ate, they chatted, Conny telling Hazel about his new job and Hazel grinning and telling him about all of the adventures that she’d had.

“I’m glad I saved you from GED,” said Hazel. “You were so scared there, but you’ve looked so happy since you started working up at the winery.”

“I can feel the difference, too,” said Conny, his eyes shining with happiness. “I don’t dread going to work every day, and I’m not always getting into trouble for doing something wrong. The Baroness is a bit fussy with how some things are done, but that’s fine, I’ll happily change the way I do things if it means having a job that I love.”

“That’s the spirit,” said Hazel, grinning at him. “I’m glad you’re happy.”

“I’m glad I met you,” said Conny. Hazel blushed and nibbled on a cookie. “You’re a great friend, Hazel.” And just like that, Hazel’s spirits lifted. So she wouldn’t have to friendzone him or fend off unwanted advances, that was good. She felt protective over Conny, oddly, and didn’t want him to be hurt.

“And you’re a great friend too, Conny,” said Hazel. “Thanks for bringing me out here. Well, for getting me away from work, anyway. I was just going to go into Jorvik City and do some birthday shopping, but I guess I can do that later. And anyway, this was better.”

“It was my pleasure,” said Conny, smiling at her as he relaxed on the picnic blanket. Their horses grazed a little way away from them, the little fox sniffing around. Conny tossed the fox a piece of raisin cookie, which it snapped up happily. Hazel giggled as the fox trotted over to sit at Conny’s feet, tail wagging, waiting for more scraps.

“Now you’ve done it,” said Hazel, laughing. Conny fed the fox a few more scraps until the little animal finally curled up to sleep in the saddlebag that Hazel had left leaning against one of the trees.

Hazel smiled as she watched the fox. She still had a lot of Jorvik to explore, but it was nice to just take a break sometimes. Maybe she’d even try her hand at writing, she’d always wanted to do that.


End file.
